To My Cute Pupil
by MizWrite
Summary: As the anniversary of Ur's death approaches, Gray's wish that he could reconnect with his former teacher grows ever stronger. But, this is clearly an impossibility, as Ur is now one with the ocean. Juvia, however, thinks she might be able to help. Gray x Juvia. Gruvia.


Author's note: I've been knocking this idea around for a while. This is going to be a fluffy one-shot, so I hope you guys like it. ^_^

It was a wonderfully sunny day, as Juvia walked into the guild in high spirits. Gray had been away on a job, and, according to Erza, he had only just returned late last night, so she was looking forward to seeing him after a week apart. She scanned the tables, and saw Gray sitting alone on the farthest table on the right, a drink in his hand, staring broodingly at a blank space of wall. He looked a bit sad, but handsomely so, in Juvia's opinion.

Juvia made her way over to him, unable to help the smile that snuck up on her face as she neared his table.

"Gray-sama?"

He seemed to jump slightly at the sound of her voice, but didn't turn towards her, instead simply looking at her from the corner of his eye. "Hey Juvia," he said, somewhat irritably, as Juvia's small smile faltered.

Juvia bit her lip, "I wanted to welcome you back from your job. Erza-san told me it went well," she said kindly, as Gray went back to staring at the wall.

"Hmmm?" He clearly was not really listening.

"I said, I heard you, Natsu-san, and the others managed to get that missing jewel back from the - " Juvia restated, but was cut off by Gray, who seemed to have understood this time.

"Oh, yeah, it went fine," he said, stirring his drink absentmindedly, before turning back to her. "Did you want something?" he asked her tonelessly.

"No, I-I just wanted to say hello," she said, a little embarrassed and uncomfortable. Gray was clearly not in the mood to talk.

"Oh... Well, I've got some errands to run, so I'll see ya, I guess," and just like that, he got up from the table, abandoning his half-full drink, and walked passed her without another word.

Juvia watched him go, her hands clasped together, looking despondent.

"Don't let it worry you," she heard a warm voice say from behind her.

"Mira-san?"

Mira smiled. "It's nothing to do with you," she assured her. "He's always like that around this time of year."

"Gray-sama? Why?" she asked, surprised.

"The anniversary of the day Gray joined Fairy Tail is near," Mira explained.

"But, " Juvia started, her brow furrowed. "Why would that make him - "

"Because," Mira sighed wistfully, cutting Juvia off, "that means the anniversary of when he last saw his teacher Ur is also approaching," she finished softly.

Juvia could feel her heart tighten. "Gray-sama...," she said sadly, as Mira put a consoling hand on Juvia's shoulders.

"It'll pass. It always does. And in a week or so, Gray will be back to his usual self again," Mira said, giving Juvia's shoulder a squeeze, as a wizard on the other side of the hall called Mira's name.

"Coming!" Mira called back cheerfully, before turning towards Juvia once more. "Anyway, don't worry yourself about it, Juvia. There are just some things people need time to deal with on their own. Give him his space. He'll be ok," Mira said earnestly before grabbing a tray of drinks, and heading towards the merrily shouting wizards.

Juvia thought about Mira's words, which were wise, as always, but there was just something still needling her. Of course Gray was sad about losing his teacher, and Juvia certainly understood that grieving was a very personal thing, but to grieve in this way, and to get this down year after year...

Juvia spotted Cana a few tables away, her arms wrapped around a barrel full of alcohol, chuckling happily with Macao and Wakaba. Juvia knew that Cana was one of the guild members Gray was closest to, having already joined the guild before Gray arrived.

Juvia made her way over to them. "Hello, everyone, " Juvia said, as they turned toward her.

"Juvia! Join us! We were just betting Cana that she couldn't down another barrel," Wakaba said, as he took another puff of his pipe.

"A bet you were about to lose, old man," Cana jeered.

"You've already had two, and it's not even noon yet," Macao reminded her, as she waved him off.

"That was just to warm up," she said confidently, as she started to pick up the barrel.

"Cana-san! I actually would like to have a word alone with you, if that's alright," Juvia requested in haste, before Cana could down her third barrel of the day.

To Juvia's relief, Cana put the barrel back down. "Oh? You hear that? I've got to talk with Juvia, so this bet is on hold until I get back. And you better have the cash to pay up this time," she warned the two men, as she hopped off the table to join the water wizard.

They headed to a corner of the guild to speak in private. "What's up?" she asked, her tone quieting significantly, as she stared at Juvia in concern.

"Nothing, really, it's just...," Juvia paused, wondering exactly how to phrase the feelings she was having.

"Is this about Gray?" Cana asked knowingly, her eyebrow raised suggestively.

Juvia blushed. "Well, yes, but not like that," Juvia squirmed uncomfortably. "It's about Gray-sama, and his old teacher Ur-san."

"Oh...," she said, understanding flooding her face. "Yeah, he was talking about it last night."

"He was?" Juvia asked.

"Yeah," she said, sighing heavily. "He always gets like this. Wishing he could talk to Ur one last time. Well, I mean, we all feel like that, don't we? We all have someone we wish we could see again," Cana said thoughtfully, as Juvia pondered this statement.

"And Ur, she's not really _gone_ gone, after all. At least, not according to Gray," Cana reminded Juvia, who recalled the story Cana had told her about Gray's history back when Juvia first joined the guild.

"That's right, she washed into the ocean, didn't she?" Juvia asked, more to herself, than Cana.

"Yeah, when her ice melted. I think that's pretty cool, being a part of the sea forever."

And a thought suddenly struck Juvia like a bolt of lightening, as she jumped a bit in realization.

"Something wrong?" Cana asked, surprised.

But Juvia was barely listening to her, completely lost in the brainwave she had just had. "She's part of the sea..."

"Juvia?" Cana waved a hand in front of Juvia's dazed face.

Juvia snapped out of her reverie, but she was smiling widely. She grabbed both of Cana's hands in her own, and shook them gratefully. "Cana-san, thank you!"

"Huh? For what?" Cana said, bemused.

"You just gave me a great idea," Juvia said vaguely, as she dashed out of the guild, before Cana had any time to ponder what had just happened.

* * *

Juvia was up nearly all night researching volumes of water-based and ice-based magic guides and spell books that she had borrowed from Levy's extensive collection. She wanted to make absolutely sure that what she had in mind was feasible, but it was a hard topic to investigate. As far as Juvia knew, Ur's situation was unique. Ice shell was already such a rarely used spell, because of the great risks involved. According to one book Juvia skimmed through, the spell had been performed less than a dozen times since the spell's creation several centuries ago. And even then, no one, aside from Ur, has ever had their ice shell melted, causing their ice to turn into water.

Juvia did, however, find documentation of water creatures who haunted bodies of water, and took to possessing mages whose bodies, like Juvia's, were adept at water magic, and who happened to stumble across their path. The problem was, those were all spiteful spirits who initiated the possession themselves on unwary mages. Not to mention, several of those mages were lost to the vengeful spirit's possession, their minds unable to handle the strain, their bodies shutting down, in order to repel the foreign entity within them. Juvia read through some horrific scenarios, that made her think back on all the times she had joined with the water, never mindful that she was opening herself up to anything, and everything that dwelled nearby.

However, none of that was important right then. What stood out to Juvia, was that it was possible to join your soul to another, as long as the base element was the same. And, as far as Juvia knew, Ur was simply consciousness become liquid. When Juvia turns into pure water, she is very much exactly that. So, if they could only find Ur, and Juvia could join with her, maybe Gray would finally have his chance to talk to Ur again after all.

Even though Juvia had barely slept, she woke up excited and determined the next morning. She dressed quickly, and headed straight for the guild. As luck would have it, she caught a yawning Gray just outside the gate. She ran up to him.

"Gray-sama!" she waved.

Gray turned around, trying to stifle another yawn. "Oh, hi, Juvia," he said, staring warily at her, as if her exuberant greeting could mean nothing good.

"Would it be alright if...," Juvia paused. She was unsure of how to broach the subject. She didn't want Gray to think she was crazy, or to make light of his teacher's situation, and especially not during this most delicate time. But her mind was made up, and she pressed on, "I would like to talk to you about something important. Something to do with Ur-san," she said cautiously.

Gray looked taken aback. "Ur," he breathed.

"I know that you've been missing her, and I understand the feeling of being separated from someone you care about. I understand that it's painful to not be able to talk with them, and be with them. So... I thought we should go see her," she finished in a rush, as Gray's expression turned quickly from shock, to what looked very much like anger. Juvia blushed fiercely.

He turned away from her angrily. "What?" was all he could say at first, his face was livid. "Don't talk nonsense," he growled. "No one knows better than me that, that's impossible. She's just wat-"

But Juvia finished his sentence for him, still flushed. "Water now? Exactly," she said simply, staring bravely back at him. And her hand touched his lightly, as it turned into water within the blink of an eye.

Gray's eyes widened in understanding.

Juvia took her hand away, her face still faintly red, as she put the hand over her heart. "Her spirit is still out there, in the ocean, right? If I could reach her, maybe... Maybe there's a chance you could speak with her again, through me," she said softly, looking earnestly up into his face.

Gray's eyes still wide as dinner plates, he shook his head, as if trying to remove the idea Juvia just shared with him from his brain. "That's ridiculous," Gray said, but Juvia saw it. She saw that small glimmer of hope in Gray's eyes, and she latched onto it.

"Many things are possible with magic," she started. "Ur-san was an incredibly powerful mage, with an immensely strong spirit. I only have to look at you, and see the love you have for her to know that. And I think, if we sought her out, well... I'd find it hard to believe that Ur-san isn't missing you too. It's worth a try, isn't it?" She asked him, imploringly. She wanted so badly to do something for Gray. And if she could heal even a bit of his hurt, she'd do anything to make that happen.

Gray continued to stare the whole time Juvia spoke, but when she stopped, something inside of him seemed to slacken slightly. He sighed. "I don't really get what you intend to do, but it sounds insane, if you want the truth," he said, turning away from her, his eyes focused on the road leading towards the train station.

Juvia's heart plummeted. She was afraid of this. Of course he would think it was a crazy idea. But then Gray spoke again.

"Is this thing you want to do dangerous? It sounds like it," he said off-handedly, the outrage finally cleared from his voice, but he was still not looking at her.

Juvia's spirits rose a bit. "There's always a bit of danger to every spell," she said casually, while thinking, _what Gray -sama doesn't know can't hurt him_.

He looked at her again, a hesitant expression on his face, but Juvia could tell he was very close to cracking.

"And if it doesn't work?" he asked her.

"Then... wherever Ur-san is, I'm sure your wishes, at the very least, will reach her," and she smiled.

Gray bit his lip uncomfortably, his brow furrowed, as though he was having a fierce debate in his head. Finally, he said, "I was thinking of going to Galuna Island anyway, to lay some flowers at the beach. That's where her ice melted," he explained calmly, looking up at the sun, his hands over his eyes to block the rays of light.

"Well then," Juvia said, clapping her hands together, "we can go together."

Gray grunted in agreement, as Juvia beamed.

And so they set off towards the train which would take them to Hargeon, where they could then catch a ferry to the island.

The train ride was fairly uneventful. They ate a quiet breakfast, Juvia facing opposite of Gray, who mostly stared out the window, seemingly deep in thought. Juvia felt like it was best to leave him in peace, and it gave herself time to think of exactly how she was going to pull this off. She knew the basics of the spell from her own knowledge of water magic, and the information she had gathered from Levy's books had been invaluable. Still, it wasn't the theory, but the execution of the spell that troubled her. She had never performed it before, and there were several ways in which it could go horribly wrong. She kept this information to herself, of course. If Gray knew of the worst case scenarios, he would surely have been completely against the idea. But, if she did manage to connect with Ur, then it would all be worth it, for Gray's sake.

Once they got to Hargeon, they stopped at a local flower shop, where they picked up a bouquet of bright, tropical flowers for Ur. As Gray still seemed distracted, Juvia chose them. She liked them, because of how colorful and cheerful they seemed. After Gray payed the flower shop attendant, they headed for the port. Most of the ship owners still seemed very wary of sailing to the island known to inhabit monsters, but luckily, they finally managed to persuade someone to ferry them across to the demon island of Galuna. The skipper of the small boat was a kind, elderly gentlemen. The old man told them as they sailed across the clear waters that he had become friendly with the island locals as of late, and was often trading supplies with the villagers. He seemed quite taken with the demons, whom he called "fine folk."

After a short trip that took no longer than a half hour, the old man promised to wait for them, as they had assured him they would be back before nightfall. They set off for a secluded spot along the shore that Gray remembered bordered a sea cave.

Gray stopped walking, and looked around as they reached their predetermined location. "That cave leads into the one where Deliora was being held," he said, pointing, as he watched the water flow in and out along the jagged rocks that sat at the entrance.

He turned to look at Juvia, her arms full of flowers, a look of discomfort on his face as he scratched his head. "You sure you really want to do this?"

"Of course!" she said confidently, handing him the flowers she had chosen.

He looked down on the colorful blooms cradled in his arms, and then back at Juvia who was smiling. He sighed heavily. "Uh, so, how does this work? I mean, she's not actually going to be _here, _right? Is she going to be talking through you, or...," he trailed off nervously.

"Something like that," she said vaguely, her smile looking a bit more guilty.

Gray blanched. "You don't mean... You _do_ know what you're doing, right? You have done something like this before?" he asked her accusingly.

She blushed.

"Juvia!" he screamed, as she flinched.

"Calm down, Gray-sama!" she said, her hands up in defense. "I do know what I'm doing. I promise. No, I haven't done it before - well, it is kind of a unique situation, isn't it - but I know how it's suppose to work. So, don't worry. Just, get ready to have your talk with Ur-san," she said reassuringly, fixing another smile on her face, as Gray appeared to ease up a bit.

He raised his eyebrow in doubt. "And if it doesn't work?' he asked her tentatively.

She looked at him determinedly. "It will."

Juvia walked into the water before them, the transparent coolness lapping at her boots as she made her way further into the depths. She stopped walking when the water level reached her waist. Because she herself was made out of water, her clothes stayed quite dry. She took a deep breath, and turned to face Gray, who had followed her half way, the water soaking through the knees of his black pants. At some point since she left him behind her, he had taken off his shirt. She giggled inwardly, but said nothing as it sat at the water's edge near the flowers, which he had laid on the shore. She stared at his worried face. She also saw a hint of eagerness there as well. She had to make sure this worked. She didn't want to let Gray down. She didn't want to have brought him all this way, just to disappoint him. That would just cause him further pain. It was imperative that nothing go wrong, and most importantly, she needed to reach Ur. She wanted to give Gray what he needed, and for that to happen, she knew what she had to do. She must let go of herself - give her body, mind and soul to the ocean - while sending out her call to Ur. If Ur was really there, then she should hear her. But, if something else, something dangerous reached her instead... No! She wouldn't think of that. She was going to concentrate all her efforts on Ur.

Gray watched as Juvia spread her arms apart, her fingers trailing into the water. He saw her eyes close. She stayed that way for several long minutes. Gray was unsure what was going to happen, and the uncertainty made his heart race. But, just as it looked as if Juvia's attempt was going to be a failure, her eyes shot open. Gray jumped, but continued to stare intently. Something was happening. "Juvia?" he called out to her, his voice shaking slightly. She didn't answer.

"Juvia!" he called again, more firmly. He had moved his foot forward, about to walk towards her. But then, he stopped suddenly. He noticed Juvia's eyes were changing. They became transparent. Her whole body followed suit. She had transformed into pure water. She was using her Sierra spell. But no, the water was becoming solid again, and as it did so, there were distinct changes taking place. Gray watched, transfixed, as Juvia's blue hair became shorter and darker, her facial features morphed, and her clothes changed. Before he knew it, before he could even properly register what had happened, he was staring into the eyes of his former teacher.

"Ur..." Gray breathed, as he fell backwards into the water, completely overcome with shock and awe.

"It seems my cute pupils have yet to let go," a soft voice said, as she gave the young man before her an ironic smile.

Gray could only gape at her, so she went on, still smirking at his reaction. "First Lyon trying to melt my ice, and now you, I see... I have to be honest, I don't know if this is healthy," she said, eyeing him, and crossing her arms. "Therefore, I suppose it would be selfish of me to admit it makes me a little happy that I've not been forgotten," her voice was low, but her eyebrows raised in amusement.

"Of course you haven't been forgotten!" Gray insisted, finding his own voice again at last.

She grinned.

Gray shook his head, not quite able to take it all in. He couldn't believe it was Ur, but it had to be her. From her stance, to her mannerisms, to her smile, she was real, and she was right in front of him. Gray felt like he was eight all over again. He tried to regain his footing, which was difficult, because he was shaking all over.

"It is really you, isn't it, Ur?" he asked, an almost pleading note in his voice. He so wanted what he was seeing to be true, but hardly daring it was, as he managed to get back up on his feet.

Her eyes narrowed. "Yes it's me! Do you know anybody else who'd put up with a stubborn brat like you?" she shot back, slightly annoyed.

"I'm not a stubborn brat!" he said indignantly, as she laughed that deep, infectious laugh that Gray had never thought he'd hear ever again. It sent shivers down his spine. But, at that moment he knew for sure that it was her.

Her eyes traveled to the shore behind him. He followed her gaze to the flowers lying in the sand.

"Quite the romantic gesture," she smirked. "Surely they're not for me," she said playfully.

Gray blushed. "They're not romantic," he insisted, irritated. "They... they were meant in memory of you -"

"Ah, but as you can tell, I'm a lot more than just memories," she said, her arms still folded confidently. "They are very pretty, though. I think they deserve better than to be floating in the open sea, or wilting on the sand, don't you?" she asked, but she went on before Gray could answer. "I think you should put them to better use," she said mysteriously.

Gray looked at her, perplexed, but Ur didn't give him much time to ponder the uses he could put the flowers. Instead, she continued.

"Anyway, I understand you were looking for a talk. So, talk," she instructed.

"How did you know?" he asked, surprised.

"You're here, aren't you?" she said, as if there was only one conclusion to be drawn from this observation.

"Yeah, and_ you're_ here. How is this even possible?" he still seemed dumbfounded by her. "I mean, you're solid, and everything?" he asked, in awe, and even a little fear, as he came a bit closer to her, as if to clarify that she wasn't a figment of his imagination.

"This girl's magic is very powerful," she said thoughtfully. She held out her arm to study it, clearly in wonder herself at her solid form. "It's Juvia, isn't it?"

Gray nodded stupidly.

"It's very dangerous what she's doing, you know," she informed him seriously. "She's stepped back from herself to let me in, and if she's not careful, she could be lost forever."

"Juvia..." he said worriedly, but she held a hand up to silence him.

"Don't worry, I have no intention of staying here. Once I leave, she'll return to normal. I'm only sharing her body at the moment. I know everything she knows, and can feel everything she feels," she explained.

"Can she hear us?"

"No. Right now it's as if she's in a locked room, waiting to be let out again," she said, as Gray stared at her, clearly disturbed by the information.

Ur nodded, showing she was aware of his worries.. "So, you can understand what I meant when I said it was very dangerous what she's allowed me to do. If I were a malicious spirit, I could easily take over, and leave her trapped there forever. She knew what she was opening herself up to. She must care about you very much. In fact," she paused, and put a hand to her chest. "I know she does. I can feel it," she said, a wry smile playing at her lips this time.

Gray blushed.

Ur laughed. "You haven't changed much, Gray. You were always afraid of letting people get too close. But, you can't fool me," she said confidently. "I know you far too well, and I can tell you've already let her into your heart," and her eyes met his.

He said nothing, but still blushing, he looked away from her, half defiant, half embarrassed.

"I'm glad," she said sincerely, her kind, yet knowing smile back in place. "That darkness that plagued you once left a deep mark. I know it did," she said with a touch of melancholy. "But, you've grown from it beautifully. You have friends - no, family. And you're a brilliant ice mage," she beamed at him proudly.

"It's thanks to you," Gray shouted suddenly.

Ur blushed faintly herself at this declaration. "I'm happy that you think so," she said modestly.

"And... I wanted to say, I'm sorry, Ur," Gray said, his eyes filling with tears. "I'm so sorry, for everything. For giving you a hard time, and not being a better pupil, and Deliora, and-" Gray stopped talking, as Ur walked up to him, and put a finger to his lips.

"So, that's what you wanted, was it?" she said, her voice barely a whisper, as she looked at him, her face a mixture of understanding, and sadness. "I don't blame you for anything," she stated, her head shaking slightly, as she peered up into his face. "I was always going to seal away Deliora. The moment I met you, I knew it was just a matter of when. You and Lyon brought so much happiness into my life. So much," she reiterated passionately, as Gray stared at her, tears flowing down his cheeks. It was almost as if they had been transported a decade back in time, as the teacher offered her pupil comfort.

"Not to mention, you gave my daughter back to me. My Ultear..." and now Ur's eyes were shining with tears as well. "You cleared away her hatred, and have given me peace. I am indebted to you for that."

Gray shook his head furiously. "No! I owe you everything, Ur, I-"

But Ur cut him off again with a small laugh, "very well, Mr. Stubborn. We owe each other, and we're even," she said with a kind finality that Gray knew was not to be tested.

Gray smiled, nodding silently, as he wiped away his tears.

"Now, there's something I didn't see that often," she said, indicating his expression. "Could it be this girl, Juvia's influence?"

Gray's face flushed again, as Ur laughed.

"I'm sorry, but you've always been so easy to kid, Gray," she grinned.

Gray rolled his eyes, but looked back at her, partially amused himself.

"It seems you're in good hands here," she smiled warmly.

"I missed you!" he blurted out, his face still flushed.

Ur looked at him for a moment, seemingly taken aback, before a very tender expression appeared across her face. "I missed you, too. But, I'm always here," and she put her hand over his heart.

He looked down at her hand on his bare skin, and before he knew it, Ur had suddenly pulled Gray into a hug. Surprised at first, Gray simply stood there without reacting. However, after a few awkward seconds, overcome with emotion, he reciprocated, by wrapping his arms around her. His eyes closed, as he tried to cherish every moment with this woman who was a second mother to him - another mother whom he had lost far too soon.

Ur smiled affectionately. "You've gotten to be such a tall brat, haven't you?" she asked into his shoulder, and she heard him chuckle softly. "Keep making me proud," she whispered, as he simply made a small sound of acknowledgement.

"Good, because I'll be watching," she warned, half in jest.

As they continued to hug, Ur withdrew back into Juvia's mind.

_Please take care of him, _Juvia heard a warm voice say somewhere deep in her heart. _Ur-san?, _she thought_, _as she suddenly realized that she was standing in water. She also realized that her face was nestled into a man's shoulder, and they were embracing. Her fingers felt smooth, cool skin, and she could smell a familiar salty scent that sent a feeling of excitement through her. His body heat was palpable, as his naked torso pressed up against her. And all too soon, she felt him slowly pull away.

Gray's face brushed a fur-trimmed hat, and his eyes met some dark blue ones. His brain catching up with his senses, he realized that he was standing face to face with Juvia, his hands on her waist. She was back.

Juvia looked up at him, transfixed, her face scarlet.

Surprised and embarrassed, he let go at once, and Juvia distinctly heard Gray mutter as he turned away from her, "Damn you, Ur, you did that on purpose."

Juvia was confused, and disappointed by the separation, but she shook it off for now. She didn't know exactly what had happened. When she had attempted to connect with Ur, and become one with the water, she had felt a presence flood through her. Her first instinct had been fear, but the presence was kind, and soothing, and she had felt her own consciousness shut down. It almost seemed like she had been tucked into bed by a loving parent, and she was only just now awaked by the warm sun. But, during this time away from herself, she had no idea what had happened, or if her attempt had really worked. She was hopeful, however, after hearing that voice inside her. And then there was the wonderful position she had just found herself in... Still, she'd like to know for sure.

"Gray-sama?" Juvia began tentatively.

He turned back to her, still a bit red in the face.

"Did you get to speak with Ur-san?"

Gray seemed to be considering her for a second. Then he bit his lip, before nodding shyly.

Juvia smiled, and decided not to pry any further, instead saying, "I'm glad."

Gray, however, looked like he wanted to say something more, before closing his mouth, perhaps reconsidering. He looked back at the shore where the flowers and his shirt still lay. He scratched his head awkwardly.

Juvia sighed, and smiled to herself. _He looks happy_, she thought. "Should we head back to the boat?" she asked. "We might be able to catch the 3 o'clock to Magnolia."

After a short pause, "Yeah, ok," Gray agreed.

Juvia began to walk across the bank, toward the path that lead back. However, she paused, as Gray called her name.

"Juvia?"

She turned around, and found that Gray had stopped at the water's edge. His shirt was back on, and he was staring at the flowers in his hands. Juvia waited, puzzled. But when Gray finally tore his gaze away from the sand, Juvia saw a warmth in Gray's eyes that she had not known before - or at least not directed at her.

He walked up to her, and said earnestly, "thank you... so much," and he pressed the flowers into her hands.

Juvia's heart leapt, but she shook her head hurriedly. "No, Gray-sama, these are for Ur-san. You should leave -"

"No," he said firmly. "These are for you," he insisted, his eyes still fixed on hers.

Juvia looked down at them, and then back at Gray, who was still staring fixedly at her. For Gray to be giving these flowers to her, instead of Ur... "Oh!" she said, realization finally catching up with her. "Th-thank you," she stuttered, blushing, her heart doing somersaults in her chest.

He simply nodded, and quietly thanked her again. She could see his adam's apple bob in his neck, as he swallowed nervously. She could tell there was more he wanted to say, or do, but he had clearly already been through one very emotional experience that day, and Juvia had no intention of putting him through another right then. So, she simply said, "you're very welcome, Gray-sama. That's what friends are for, right?" she smiled, shrugging slightly, her face still bright red.

Gray smiled back, before saying, "well, we better hurry if we're going to catch that train." And as Gray now lead the way down the path, Juvia swore she saw a faint blush cross his face as well.

They found the old man waiting for them by his small boat. He remarked at how quickly they had returned, as they had been gone barely an hour. After they arrived back at Hargeon, they managed to board the train just in time. They both sat on the same cushioned bench on the way back, Juvia near the aisle, while Gray sat against the window. The trip passed much the same way it had earlier that morning, in near silence, with Gray again lost in thought as he watched the scenery stream blearily by. Juvia couldn't fully explain why even to herself, but she was feeling happier during that train ride, than she could ever remember being before. She even took a chance half way through the trip, to take a hold of Gray's hand, which had been resting on his knee. At first, she thought for sure that he would withdraw, as he didn't even turn to look at her when her hand touched his. But, just as she was pulling away, his hand closed around her own, a gentle pressure that meant everything to her. They stayed that way until the train reached their stop. It was a first step, and it was perfect, Juvia thought, as Gray walked beside her into town, both of their hearts immensely lighter. Juvia looked down at the colorful bouquet cradled in her arms. She smiled to herself and whispered, "thank you, Ur-san."

The End

Thanks for reading! I've been wanting to write this for ages. I've always liked Ur, and Gray's tsundere behavior with her, and the way in which he lost her, always reminded me a bit of his reactions, and hesitations with Juvia. So, I tried to explore that a little in this story. Plus, Ur is just cool, no pun intended hee. ^-^ I hope you guys liked this. I have another fluffy one-shot in mind, as well as a longer Gruvia story planned, so I hope you'll look forward to those. Thanks again! ^_^


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